Rachael Ray's Quick Dinners

Cooking Rocks!

It's the middle of the afternoon on a gorgeous day in Manhattan, and Angus Craige, nearly 3, seems restless at being stuck in the family's apartment. "Let's make a pizza," suggests his mom, Leslie, a freelance magazine editor. He climbs on a stool to reach the kitchen island countertop.

Angus isn't the only helper in the Craiges' kitchen today. On hand is Rachael Ray, the perky, down-to-earth host of the Food Network's 30-Minute Meals and author of nine cookbooks, including Cooking Rocks!, a new one for children filled with mouthwatering recipes like Crunchy Chicken Toes and Lemony Pepper-Parmesan Salad. "They're smart recipes for smart kids -- the dishes aren't bland or boring," Ray says. Child invited the popular chef to tell the Craiges how they can save time on preparing meals and still make them delicious and healthy -- something that's fallen by the wayside since their baby daughter, Ellis, was born four months ago. Leslie also enlisted Ray's guidance in persuading Angus, once enthusiastic about trying new foods, to reclaim his adventurous spirit.

Earlier while working in the Craiges' kitchen, Ray prepared the pizza crust, using frozen dough. "You can also ask your favorite local pizzeria to sell you some dough," she told Leslie. "You would hardly ever make your own pizza if you had to make the dough from scratch." Angus's first task: sprinkling broccoli on the pie. He seems wary of digging his hand into a pile of green, but Ray quickly intervenes. "Oh, they're just little trees," she says, tossing the broccoli with her hands. Angus ponders Ray's explanation for a second, then dips his hands in eagerly. "More?" he asks when the bowl is empty. "No," says Ray. "But you can help us put on the other pizza toppings."

While Angus and his mom are sprinkling on chicken, cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes, Ray rattles off cooking tips that have helped make this daughter of a restaurateur a huge success. (She recently signed a multi-million-dollar cookbook deal with Clarkson Potter, putting her in the league of Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse.) One of Ray's major time-savers: not measuring every ingredient. "In baking, you have to be precise -- that's why I don't do a lot of baking," she jokes. When she cooks, Ray rarely uses measuring devices: 1 Tbs. olive oil is once around the pan, 1 cup of bread crumbs is a few handfuls, 1 tsp. paprika is 1/3 of a palmful. Her cookbooks are peppered with these makeshift measurements.

Ray also stresses organization: She moves Leslie's cutting board from her island to the counter alongside the oven so she can chop food and immediately put it into the pan. She suggests Leslie buy Angus child-safe scissors for the kitchen, explaining, "He can help cut herbs, peppers, and lettuce without a knife."

When Angus is done adding toppings to the pizza, he looks proudly at his masterpiece. But the real test will come when he tastes it. Leslie volunteers that Angus doesn't like broccoli and has never tried sun-dried tomatoes. Ray isn't worried in the least. "When I gave cooking lessons in a gourmet food store, kids always wanted to try samples," she recounts. "It's the parents who looked in the pot and said, 'You won't like that.'"

Fifteen minutes later, the pizza is ready. Without hesitation, Angus takes a bite. Soon the slice is gone -- with no mention of the broccoli or sun-dried tomatoes. Leslie and her husband, Jim, a portfolio manager who shares cooking duties, are pleasantly surprised. "I haven't involved Angus in cooking much, but now I'm going to more often," Leslie says. "It makes a tremendous difference."

Before leaving, Ray gives Leslie the instructions for the pizza, which was featured in Rachael Ray: 30-Minute Meals 2, as well as a few recipes from her kids' cookbook and 30-Minute Meals: Cooking 'Round the Clock, another new book. "Getting kids involved in cooking won't just make them better eaters," she says. "It'll build their confidence and pride about contributing to the family."

Instructions:

Step 2: Ask a grown-up to help you drizzle oil evenly over the breading, tossing and turning it to mix oil all through the bread crumbs and crushed-up cornflakes. After your helper cuts chicken into 2" pieces, coat chicken with flour and eggs, then dip in the special crunchy breading. Arrange on a nonstick baking sheet. Ask your helper to place chicken in oven; cook 15 minutes or until crisp and brown.

Step 3: When chicken comes out of the oven, make the dipping sauce: Mix together honey mustard and barbecue sauce in a small bowl.

Creamy Salsa Dip With Veggies

Kids won't mind eating their veggies when they're served in this super-speedy side dish accompanying the Crunchy Chicken Toes. (Cook and slice vegetables if serving to kids under age 4; raw veggies are a choking hazard.)

Serves:4-6

Prep Time:5 minutes

Cooking Time:0 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup mild salsa

1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

12 carrot sticks

12 celery sticks

12 cherry or grape tomatoes, rinsed

12 sugar snap peas, washed and dried

Instructions:

Step 1: Stir together salsa and sour cream. Scrape dip into a small bowl. Arrange veggies around the dip on a big plate and serve.

Instructions:

Step 2: While soup comes to a boil, mix ground meat with cheese, bread crumbs, egg, and parsley. Roll into 1 1/2" to 2" meatballs. Place meatballs in soup. Return to a boil, then stir in spaghetti. Reduce the heat and simmer soup 10 minutes more, until pasta is tender and meatballs have cooked through. Stir in basil and remove soup from stove. Serve with cheese.

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut larger potatoes in half and place in a medium pot; cover with water and a lid. Cook over high heat. When water boils, sprinkle in a little salt, remove lid, and cook 10 minutes, until tender.

Step 3: Drain cooked potatoes and return to hot pot. Smash with sour cream, 2 Tbs. butter, and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. (If mixture is too thick, thin it out with milk or a splash of broth.)

Step 4: Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat. Melt 2 Tbs. butter; whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups stock or broth. Lightly season with salt and pepper; allow it to thicken slightly. Cut rotisserie meat away from the breast bones. If using deli turkey, remove from packaging and separate slices. Place turkey in gravy.

Step 5: Place bread slice on dinner plate; top with turkey. Serve smashed potatoes and cranberry sauce on the side. Spoon extra gravy over potatoes and turkey sandwiches. Sprinkle the plates with chopped parsley or chives and serve.

Instructions:

Step 2: In a small covered saucepan, bring 2" water to a boil. Separate broccoli tops into florets; discard lower stalks or reserve for a different use. Salt water and add broccoli. Cook, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain broccoli, set on cutting board, and chop florets into small pieces.

Step 3: Meanwhile, heat a small nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add oil, garlic, and chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden, 5 minutes. Chop chicken and garlic into small pieces.

Step 4: To assemble pizza, dot crust with broccoli, garlic, and chicken. Add tablespoons of ricotta throughout and spread gently with the back of a spoon. Scatter sun-dried tomatoes around the pizza to the edges. Top with mozzarella.

Step 5: Place pizza on middle oven rack and lower heat to 450°F. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until cheese is golden and crust is brown and crisp at the edges. Remove from oven; allow to stand 5 minutes. Top with basil.